I hope Jerome K. Jerome can forgive me but I cannot avoid it and I’m also really sorry for not being able to avoid laughing at the Iranian education system - you are probably wondering what the hell I’m talking about. The Iranian navy arrested three Finns, the same way they arrested the fifteen British sailors a few weeks ago with a tiny small difference, the three Finns were …fishing!

I’m not joking; the three Finns were on a small fishing boat near the island of Abu Musa having some …recreational time. If you live in Finland, like I do, and if you have lived in Finland, like I have, furthermore if you know the Finns, like I do, most likely reading that you started laughing; I mean really laughing! It is most likely that the three Finns had an early Midsummer drinking beer and singing Suomi Pop (Finnish pop) while arguing who has the fastest car and …the Iranians made the arrest of their times! I really feel sorry for them!

I can just imagine the Iranian puppet president in a televised speech announcing that the brave Iranian navy once more stopped the invaders and the spies and the crowd cheering and thanking Allah, but I cannot hold myself because I can imagine the faces of the three men wondering what the hell is going on and where the hell have they landed. That’s another thing I know about Finns, Finns and alcohol never make a good cocktail when it comes to moods!

But this is the funny side and I just hope the Iranian government will soon discover the mistake and allow the three men to go free or they will definitely need to change immediately ...their education system to find out where Finland is and find out some things about Finland.

They will find out that Finland is one of the most northern countries and neutral not only in theory but also in practice (despite all the efforts of former Prime Minister Lipponen to spoil the dream). Most likely they will find out that people enjoy fishing and the touch of nature joined with a pint or couple and in the end they will find out that there is no secret code hiding in the lyrics of Suomi Pop, just one of the most difficult languages on globe.

Finally I hope they see the funny side and let these three men free to continue connecting people instead of testing the Finnish stubbornness that will lead them nowhere. Finally, while they keep them in prison, I hope they don’t torture them by forcing them to wear those awful Iranian suits the British sailors wore during their captivity.

I’m sorry I deal with humor with such a serious matter and I can imagine that these are really distressing times for the families of these men; I don’t envy their situation having their people captives from one of the worst dictatorships. I just feel confident that the Iranians will realize their mistake and let them free soon.

When all this happened with the British sailors we all had our …little doubts, a British navy boat with marines can be suspicious but three Finns fishing from a little fishing boat, well that is …only for laughs and I just hope the Iranians see the comedy, give them a dog (to say nothing of the dog) and let them free!